Garfield County Commission approves road-crew hires, honors longtime public‑health board member and moves to executive session

At its meeting, the Garfield County Commission approved new road‑crew hires, honored long‑serving public‑health board members and scheduled a private executive session to discuss potential litigation.

Commissioners recognized Nick Reynolds for three decades of service on the Southwest Public Health Board and noted additional retirements among county staff. Chair (S2) presented the recognition and commissioners thanked the retirees for their institutional knowledge.

Public Works (Dave Dodds) briefed the board on infrastructure: hydraulics for the Panguitch Lake Dam are on back order but expected by the end of the month and should not affect irrigation this season; a proposed unstaffed dead‑animal drop‑off pit is under state review and will require an exemption to operate without on‑site staffing and concurrence from the State Historic Preservation Office on archaeology.

On personnel, county staff presented two candidates for the road crew to replace retiring employees. After a motion and second, the board voted in favor of hiring Corey Nelson and Kevin Follenbach for road‑crew positions. The motion was moved and seconded on the record and approved with an affirmative voice vote.

Near the meeting’s close, the chair asked for and received a motion to move into executive session to discuss potential litigation. The motion passed on an all‑in‑favor voice vote; the board recorded that county staff Dave Dodds and Caden Figgins and Jared Wilsey would attend the executive session.

Commissioners also discussed a state contact about Hillsdale Cemetery and asked staff to determine which cemetery district would manage a small state parcel the county may accept, and to follow up on a list of roads and right‑of‑way matters raised by the state.

The board’s public‑works and personnel decisions were procedural approvals to maintain county services; the executive session was called for potential litigation and no public details were disclosed in the meeting minutes.